


Icy Moonlight

by Imori_Hikaru



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: #BFSecretSanta2019, BFSecretSanta2019, Ice Skating? sort of..., Snow and Ice, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22026211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imori_Hikaru/pseuds/Imori_Hikaru
Summary: Shorter pushes Ash to let go and have a bit of fun one moonlit, snowy night in New Jersey.BFSecretSanta2019 piece for @BlakRabbit
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Shorter Wong
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Icy Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I found that I actually struggled quite a bit with this piece and I'm not sure exactly what it was about it that I found so difficult. The requested prompt was ice skating, and I decided to take that in a less conventional sense. Maybe that's why? Regardless, it's short and sweet, and I hope you get some enjoyment out of it. Happy holidays!

Shorter groaned, rolling over in his sleeping bag. He expected to see Ash's sleeping form beside him, but he his own sleeping bag was vacant. Shorter pulled himself up into a sitting position where he scanned the room for Ash, a hand pulling through his already rumpled shock of purple hair.

Coming up empty of his search, Shorter huffed a sigh and clambered out of his sleeping bag. He rubbed his hands together in the chilled air before tucking them under his armpits for extra warmth. The heat in this house was trash. They should look into fixing that if they planned to spend any more time here this winter.

Shorter made his rounds of the rickety old house, finally deciding that he was alone Shorter snagged his jacket off the back of one of the  mismatched  kitchen chairs and shoved his feet into his boots. They weren't made for winter, but they were a step up from his chunky high tops at least.

It didn’t take him long to find Ash after he slipped outside. The blonde was standing on the bank of a frozen pond a little way from the house. He looked out of place in the serine winter scene. The full mood hung overhead, illuminating the night and causing the powdery snow crystals to glimmer. The monotone white and blue scene was disrupted by Ash’s frame. Ash had on his ticker blue jacket, a red hoodie peeking out from underneath. Shorter imaged his feet were probably freezing, surly his red converse sneakers were doing absolutely nothing against the chilled moisture of the snow.

Shorter stood back and watched for a few moments. He wanted to ease the tension he could see in Ash’s body and the movements he made. Coming back to New Jersey was never easy, it always brought a pained expression to Ash’s features. Eventually, Shorter had  enough, and he slowly approached Ash.

"You know, it's cheating if you water is frozen." Ash chucked the stone in his hand onto the solid ice. The gentle sound pinging through the night air before he finally turned to acknowledge Shorter, who was leaning against a bare tree.

"What's cheating?" Ash asked, flipping his hair out of his eyes with a quick jerk of his head.

"Skipping rocks," Shorter explained, kicking off the tree and joining Ash on the edge of the frozen pond. "It's cheating if the water is frozen. It doesn't matter how you throw them if you know they won't sink."

"Who says I was skipping them?" Ash shoved his hands into his coat pockets, eyes on Shorter, who in turn, was focused on the pond expanding before them.

"We don't see things like this in the city." Ash was a bit caught off guard with the sudden change in Shorter's tone. He went from jokingly teasing Ash to be wistful and captivated by their surroundings.

"No," Ash's response was slow, curious. He shifted his gaze from Shorter's profile to the pond where Shorter was fixated. It was well past midnight, but they didn't have any issues seeing in the moonlight. The snow sparkled and the ice was almost reflective where the snow hadn’t stuck . Taking a few long strides, the snow crunching softly under his shoes, Shorter stepped out onto the thick ice. "Shorter! What are you doing?" Ash took a few steps of his own, reaching out to pull Shorter back off the ice.

Shorte r turned grabbed Ash's wrist and yanked him out onto the ice alongside him. Their shoes had  little to  no grip on the slick surface and the force of Ash's body colliding into Shorter's sent them gliding further out into the ice.

Ash's green eyes were blown wide as they slid. He was already bracing for impact, expecting them to topple over onto the frozen surface. It never came, Shorter kept both of them steady.

"What the fuck, Shorter?" Ash wanted to push Shorter away, but had the foresight to know that would just lead to one or both of them laid out of their asses. Shorter offered Ash a lazy grin.

"Ice skating," he shrugged as released Ash's arms.

"On a pond that may or may not be frozen through?" Ash asked, not impressed. "Not to mention it's not really ice skating without skates."

"Sure, it is, and the ice is plenty thick. It'll be fine." Shorter winked at Ash before turning and pushing off further onto the ice. "Let loose, Ash. We've had one hell of a year. It won't kill you to have a bit of fun."

"You're an idiot," Ash called after him, remaining rooted where Shorter had left him. "An idiot that's going to get hypothermia," he added under his breath.

Shorter managed to slide around in a wide circle before returning to Ash, who was glaring at him through his blonde bangs.

"Ash," Shorter skid to a halt in front of him. "Don't tell me you you're scared." Ash snorted and averted his gaze.

"Right, this is about as scary as Eiji." The retort got a hardy laugh from Shorter, who grinned at Ash like a lunatic.

"Then why are you standing there like you've frozen to the ice?"

"This is stupid Shorter."

"No, Ash," Shorter leaned in close to Ash's cold, reddened features. "This is  _ fun _ . You should try it sometime. " Feeling he might have provoked Ash enough Shorter easily pushed himself backwards towards the center of the pond, his gaze still on Ash.

Ash took off after Shorter, his sneakers slipping on the ice. His lack of traction causing him to bobble. Shorter’s deep laugh echoed though the crisp night air. Jade  eyes  glared at him through  a  blonde  curtain .

“I hate you,” Ash growled, straightening back out and lunging for Shorter again. This time with much more grace. Shorter easily pushed himself back once more , gliding on the ice out of Ash’s reach.

“Oh, I know,” Shorter tipped his head to the side, a goofy smirk on his face. A low growl rumbled through Ash, but he stopped trying to grab Shorter, instead he pushed himself off and let his sneakers slide over the smooth ice. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. His movements were small, but now he was moving along easier than when he’d moved abruptly and aggressively.

“You’re the worst.” There was no heat behind Ash’s words, in fact a small smile was tugging at his lips despite his attempt to suppress it

“I’m okay with that,” Shorter winked, his hands fixed behind his head as he moved easily along the ice. Ash rolled his eyes, but his smile ticked a bi t larger .

The two remained quiet for a while, the only sound being their clothes rustling and their feet on the ice. The thin , sparse layer  of snow that coated the ice had lines where they’d each been. Ash almost thought it was sad that they’d ruined the picturesque pond, but he also acknowledged that the rocks he’d thrown had left their own marks in the snow already .

“Hey, Shorter--” Ash whirled around to look at Shorter, who was a couple yards away, but his movement was too fast, and he lost his already poor footing. Before he could really react his body crash into the cold surface. He’s managed to get his hands out to prevent his face from taking the brunt of the fall, but it was still painful and ungraceful. Ash wasn’t sure what was worse, the force of the fall or the bite of the cold, wet surface.

“You okay?” Shorter was quickly at his side, hand outstretched for Ash to grab onto. Ash grabbed the offered limb, but rather than being aided to his feet, Shorter’s own footing gave way and the larger male came toppling down on top of Ash. Ash groaned; his back now flat against the frozen pond. Shorter was heavy, sprawled over Ash’s slighter frame. He lifted his head and gave Ash an apologetic grimace. “Sorry...”

“’It would be fun,’ he said,” Ash quipped in a sarcastic, mocking tone. “’Let’s go ice skating in our crappy shoes,’ he said.” Ash’s unimpressed expression met Shorter’s regretful one, and he couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that slipped past his lips. “You’re ridiculous,” Ash shook his head, shoving at Shorter to get him off of him. Realizing that Ash wasn’t angry, Shorter grinned.

“You love me,” he offered in his own joking tone. They were going to be cold and wet by the time they returned to the poorly heated  home, but it was worth it to see Ash smile and to hear his rare laughter. Shorter counted it as a win.


End file.
